Lessons

If you want to learn anything, have children. They will teach you things you'd never dreamed of!

We were talking in Sunday school class about discipline of children, and how it has changed since we were children. Our parents thought nothing of getting our attention with a swat to the seat of our britches. There was no slap on the wrist or time out chair then. Sometimes we had a separation period from the rest of the family or a sibling with whom we were at war. But correction was offered in ways that didn't always feel good. I'm not talking about child abuse. I'm not talking about beatings. I mean a smack on a clothed bottom that says, "Hey! It's time for a change in behavior". In those days, such correction did not land parents in jail or on lists of child abusers. We kids didn't have the options of turning our parents over to authorities for trying to make us law abiding, respectful people.

When our parents said, "this hurts you more than it hurts me", it very well could have. Who likes having to discipline a little person? Who can stand to hear their children's tears? But what would happen without correction? The Bible tells us in Proverbs that 'Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will drive it far from him.' God speaks of correction in many ways through His word. It is because He loves us that He corrects us. It is because we love our children and care what kind of people they will become that we correct them.

As a young mother, I had an experience one day that taught me something that I haven't forgotten. My then four year old and I had had a particularly bad day. She was determined to avoid doing anything I'd told her to do that day, and seemed that she would not hear any instruction. All the talking was getting me no where, and because she was continually disobedient that day, in the end, she got my hand on her chubby little bottom. When we had our before bed prayers, I said, "Let's ask Jesus to help you be a better little girl tomorrow." My daughter answered, "and YOU a better Mommy!"

While some might think she was being disrespectful, I had to agree. I needed prayer to be a better Mommy. I still do. We all do. Our children are not born with instructions as to how to parent them. We seek the Lord, we read His word, we do the best we can, but we are not perfect parents, just as the kids aren't perfect. We need to be praying for our children, and each other's children. And we need to pray for one another as parents, and to ask our children to pray for us. This will help them in many ways. They will learn that we know we aren't in need of correction ourselves, that we desire to be good parents to them, and that we need to all pray for our family's needs. They will come to know, as they watch us admit to our short-comings and ask for God's help, that they, too, can do the same in their lives.

Lesson taught, lesson learned....just one of many that children have to offer.

Who Am I To Question?

Today my heart is heavy for a family. Their teenaged daughter gave birth prematurely to her twins, and it was too early. The babies lived only for a few hours. If that wasn't enough, the family has been struggling to make ends meet with no work at this time. My mind whirls, just thinking of their predicament. With all the financial worries, how will they meet the hospital bills and the burial costs? Undoubtedly there will be those who give in whatever ways they can to lighten the burden for these folks. We are told in the Word to 'weep with those who weep' and we certainly have no trouble doing that today for this family. We know that the Lord will also continue to be near, providing for them, offering His peace and comfort.

No matter how strong our faith is, no matter how much we trust God, there are still those times when trials come to someone we know and we wonder how much more they can take. I don't believe that is a lack of trust or a lack of faith. It's a question that comes from our human side and from our compassion. We ache for the suffering. We know that life brings times that test our faith. We also know that they will endure, by God's grace and goodness.

Our prayers for God's compassion and mercy are being said. We will support our friends with our prayers and with our helping hands. It's all that we can do right now.

Palm Sunday

• Yesterday was Palm Sunday...the prelude to Easter week. I've always enjoyed the church service held on Palm Sunday and looked forward to the Bible's account of Jesus riding into the city on the back of a donkey. Throngs of people lined the streets to bow and wave palm branches as He rode by. I've always liked hearing and singing the special hymns written about that day.

"Hosannas, loud hosannas, the little children sang...." Jesus must have been blessed to hear their praises as He made His way through the city.

Palm Sunday and its history is familiar to me. I learned about it first in Sunday School and heard it repeated throughout my years in church. Often Palm branches were offered as a reminder of the Triumphant Entry and the beginning of the Easter season.

Recently we began attending a new church here in SC. In the adult Sunday School class yesterday, the leader pointed out that it was Palm Sunday, and he asked if anyone could tell the class why the day was significant. Not a soul that he chose to answer could give the account. I was shocked and amazed that these people, many of whom have been in church for their entire lives, could not give an answer! This is the Bible Belt, and I was under the impression that these faithful church-goers would know 'everything' about the Bible, especially those old stories that are so familiar to me. It made me stop and wonder about the other accounts of Jesus' activities.

Do they know how the dove descended on our Lord when He was baptised by John the Baptist?

Do they know that the dove signifies the Holy Spirit coming upon Him? Do they know the stories of the miracles that Christ performed? Do they understand the parables Christ spoke ?

I do know that they know the salvation message and what one must believe to be saved. But, what about the rest of the Word?

In wondering about these people's understanding, I began to realize once more how important it is to study and work and pray for knowledge and understanding. How can we know what is expected of us if we do not truly know Jesus? Oh yes, we might have found salvation through our belief in Jesus' sacrifice, but how can we know how to live, how to love, how to treat others, without the understanding of the attributes of Christ?

It has given me a new zeal for learning and a new desire to be closer still to this Savior who is so gracious to me. I want to know His ways, to learn His precepts, to adjust my thinking and doing so that I might become more like Him. Lord, thank you for this lesson.

AFRAID OF THE DARK

My little granddaughter is afraid of the dark. Night lights don't seem to alleviate her fears. Her Mommy taught her a scripture verse in the hope that she would say that to herself when her terror gripped her. "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind." I understand our little one's reluctance to be in a dark place. I was that way as a child too, imagining that every twisted tree branch was a snake or that every corner held a boogyman.

I've grown up to realize that the dark is a space without light. There is, in a spiritual sense, much darkness in this world today. You have only to turn on the news to become swiftly aware that the world is not living in the Light of God. People who walk in the Light are not ashamed of their deeds, for they are in obedience to God. They need not be afraid, for God walks with them. Those who walk a path in darkness have reason to fear. They have no protector, no guard, no guide. How does one manuever through that sort of life and maintain a sane mind or a fearless attitude? They have no power to fight off evil and show no love in doing their own evil acts.

How wonderful to be able to say that I walk in the Light, without fear of the things in the dark!
How blessed to know that the Savior called to me, and hearing Him, I answered. How comforting to know that I am protected by His love and power!

God is not willing that you should walk alone, in darkness. He is not a respector of persons. What He has done for me, He will do for you. Wake up from your sleep in the darkness. Hear Him as He calls your name. Say "Here I am, Lord", and watch the Light fall around you! There will be no need ever again to fear, for He will stay beside you always. Choose the Light.

Thoughts Pre-Easter

Easter bunnies, chicks and colored eggs line the shelves in the stores. Bonnets and patent leather shoes and frilly frocks await the wearing on that special Sunday in April. What has all that got to do with Easter?

I suppose I could stretch a point and say that all signify the newness that comes with Spring after a long winter's nap. I could really defend the pretty outfit by saying that it is significant of taking off the old and putting on the new. But the truth is, they have nothing to do with the true meaning of Easter.

Yes, Easter is about newness. We were deeply asleep in our sin. God saw we had no way to escape without a blood sacrifice. We, Christians awoke to know that Jesus Christ's horrible, painful death by hanging on the Cross put sin to death for all who will accept the sacrifice. We know that His resurrection on Easter morning gave us a new Hope for our own resurrection one day. When we accept Jesus as our own Savior and Lord, He gives us a new life to live. We must leave sin behind and wear the righteousness of Christ.

Easter baskets and bonnets do not show our love of the Lord or appreciation for his payment for the sin we deserve to die for. Let us remember to give God praise for all He is done, most of all for the gift of a new life He gave us when He gave up His own.

Random Thoughts About God

Who can describe God? So often we try, but no matter how well we think we know Him, it's impossible to describe the Majestic Almighty God.

We can pin attributes on Him and say what He is or how He thinks. But we humans can only think in a humanly spiritual way. His Word tells us that our thoughts are not His thoughts, and so I wonder how closely we can guess as to the attributes of God.

Why do we attempt to describe God, anyway? We know that He IS, has always BEEN, will always BE. We know, from the Bible, that He has no beginning and no end. We know, too, that He is all-knowing, always present. Isn't it enough to know those things, without having to describe Him?

I guess it isn't, for daily, someone is attempting to tell someone else what God is like. We say that God is Love...the giver of Love, the only real Love there is. We say that God is Truth, He is the Light, He is Salvation, He is Perfect, He is Wise, He is Creator, He is no respector of persons, but accepts each of us as we are. He is all of those and more, as taught by His own Word.

We try to describe God so that others might come to know Him the way we know Him. We don't need to describe Him. We need to offer Him. We need to invite others to meet Him. We need to tell others what God has done for us. We need to share Him. We need to place our friends in His hands. God will show Himself without our descriptions.

Goin' Home

Tomorrow our church will bury the fourth of our members in as many weeks. Families are in pain over their loss, but most are grateful to know that their loved ones have 'gone home' to their Lord. Knowing that tends to lessen the pain and suffering of death to this life on earth.

As Christians, we have the blessed Hope that we will spend Eternity with Jesus. Noone seems to want to die, but we know that when God calls us, we will have no choice but to answer. Isn't that an odd way of thinking? We don't want to die, but why not, when we know that we will forever be face to face with the one who loves us more than any earthly soul? We don't want to trade the life we know or those who remain here for what we believe our future Home to be.

I can relate to those feelings. I had a scare in 1995 when I had no idea whether I would live to see another year. It saddened me to think I might have limited time left. Looking back on that,

I know that it is a natural way to feel in a time like that. However, the spiritual part of me knew that what waits beyond what I can see will be far better.

I guess that we are all a little afraid of what we cannot see. Our future, no matter how we plan, is never quite the same as we'd laid out in our minds. If we could plan the time we'd leave our families to go home to Jesus, I'm not sure we'd ever make an appointment. Maybe that's why God holds the hourglass, and not we, ourselves. It's better the way God has planned it, I think.

And so, being human, we have those human feelings to deal with. Being also spiritual, we have beliefs and hopes in the Lord that are strong enough to know that Goin' Home will be the most wonderful journey to a more wonderful place, and that gives us the strength to weather the trials, the fears and the sorrows that come in this life. We should rejoice in knowing that our loved ones have gone on and will be waiting for us at Heaven's gates. Even more, we are at peace, knowing that the face of God, which has been hidden from view throughout our earthly walk, will be revealed, shining brilliantly before us, welcoming us into the Almighty's Kingdom.

What a day, glorious day that will be!